Albert d



(No Model.) l. A. D. FIELD.

SHOE PASTBNING.

No. 495,408. Patented Apr. 11, 1893.

a i 5. 'imm l I mum Mullin" m Egg-f immuni!! UNITED STATES PATENTOEEICE.

ALBERT D. FIELD, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE METAL GOODSMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SHOE-FASTENING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 495,408, dated April11, 1893. Application ledJune 6,1892. Serial 110.435,'725. (No model.)

T0 all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT D. FIELD, a resident of Bridgeport, in thecounty of Fairfield and State of Con necticut,have invent-ed a certainnew and useful Improvement in Buckles for Shoes and for other Purposes,of which the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part hereof, wherein- Figure 1 is a topView of my improved shoebuckle; Fig. 2 a longitudinal section thereof onthe line 2 2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a top View of a modification; Fig. 4 alongitudinal section thereof on the line 4-4, Fig. 3. Figs. 5 and 6 arelongitudinal sections of still other modiications; and Fig. 7is a topview ot' that shown in Fig. 6.

In an application for patent tiled by me December 8, 1891, Serial No.414,403, and allowed March 21, 1892, I have shown and described certainimprovements in buckles for shoes,in which a lever is used whosedrawing-loop is placed above and on the inner side of the pivot of thelever. this in the particular form shown in my above application, theleverwas provided with a lower extension-piece, which I will here termthe foot, which extension-piece also served the purpose of snapping` ifdesired, into and under the buckle-frame by some projection thereon oronthe buckle frame.

My present invention mainly consists in so constructing the lever withthis foot or inward lower projection that the foot shall be adapted toreach contact with the shoe or article to which the buckle is applied soas to form a resistancepiece which will counteract the tendency of thetake-up to lift the lever into the open position. But it also consistsin arranging this lower projection parallel with and near to the uppertongue or lever, so that the forward edge of the rib of the take-up willexert a downward pressure upon said lower projection or foot, wheneverthe tension of the take-up applied to the tongue at a dis-A tance fromthe pivotal axis, creating a leverage, would otherwise tend to raisesaid tongue and open the buckle. When this tension is so applied, thedownward pressure of the for- To accomplish ward edge of the take-upupon the lower projection of the lever prevents the lever from risingand keeps the buckle closed.

In the accompanying drawings the letterA represents the buckle-frame,and B B,B B represent various forms of the lever, which 1s pivoted tothe buckle-frame. The pivotal connection d between the buckle-frame andlever may be of any suitable kind, that is to say, either the buckleframe, by passing through an eye (Fig. 2) of the lever, forms a pivot,or else the pivot is formed by gudgeons that project from the leverthrough eyes of the buckle-frame, or any other character of pivotalconnection may be employed. The lever is formed with a loop b with whichthe take-up C engages. The lever is also provided with an inwardlyprojecting lower foot d which passes in the closed position through ornearly through the buckle-frame A and which extends farther inward fromthe pivot a than does the loop b. The foot d may be provided with slightlateral projections as shown at e in Figs. 1 and 3, or it may be left.entirely without such projections, as shown in'Fig. 7. The projections ewhen used are intended to snap through the elastic buckle-frame to actas spring-fasteners, as described in my aforesaid application. aninspection of Figs. 2, 4, 5 and 6` that the inner end only of the foot dis adapted to reachl contact with the body D of the shoe or otherarticle to which the buckle is applied.

The operation of the structure described is, that the inwardly extendedfoot. by being constructed to reach contact with the shoe D, produces alever which counteracts the pressure applied by the take-up C whendrawing on the loop b. Hence it is essential to this invention, so faras it differs from my former application, that the foot d or part of itextends downward so as to be capable of reaching contact with thearticle to which the buckle is applied. It is im material for thepurposes of the present invention whether the loop b is near or awayfrom the pivot a, provided the lever-foot d extends sufliciently farinward to counteract the leverage that is caused It will be perceivedfrom by the loop being away from the pivot. My l and passing over thepivot, exerting a leverage upon the lever B, and the foot d beingarranged near to and parallel with the tongue, so that the downwardpressure upon the foot d of the forward edge of the take-up willcounteract the leverage at the loop.

ALBERT D. FIELD.

Witnesses:

L. M. WACHSCHLAGER, E. L. SHERMAN.

